PA House Special Election: Lindsay Powell Captures Allegheny Co. Seat

PITTSBURGH, PA — Democrats will maintain a razor-thin majority in the state House after an Allegheny County special election for the 21st Legislative District Tuesday.

Lawrenceville Democrat Lindsay Powell defeated Republican Erin Connolly Autenreith, according to unofficial results reported by the county elections division. With 96.2 percent of precincts reporting, Powell had 7,128 votes to Autenreith's 3,795.

Powell's victory gives Democrats a 102-101 majority in the House. Republicans have a 28-22 majority in the Senate.

Powell will succeed Sara Innamorato, another Lawrenceville Democrat, who recently resigned to focus on her Allegheny County executive bid. She is the Democratic nominee for that office.

Powell is a director of workforce strategies for the nonprofit InnovatePGH and also served as an aide for former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto.

The highly Democratic 21st District includes portions of Pittsburgh such as the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Polish Hill, Troy Hill and Spring Hill, as well as sections of Bloomfield, Stanton Heights and East Allegheny. It also includes the suburban municipalities of Shaler, Millvale, Etna and Reserve.